serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915
www.theaggie.org
volume 131, number 46
wednesday, april 11, 2012
Proposed SCC mural canceled due to irresolvable criticisms Some felt mural failed to properly represent racial minority groups
By MUNA SADEK Aggie Associate Editor
Work on the designing of a new mural for the Student Community Center (SCC) has been halted after facing criticism from SCC stakeholders and community members. The mural, which was to be painted on the North Wall of the SCC, was a quarterlong project of the Winter quarter Chicano/a Studies 171: Mural Workshop class. The nine-student class, lead by Assistant Professor Maceo Montoya, said they sought to “create a mural that would enable people to reflect and think critically about the world we live in,” on a blog documenting their design process. The three-paneled mural design would have included imagery that is symbolic of solidarity between various cultural minority groups
on campus. It included faces that blended into one another, women’s breadth dancers that would represent cultural diversity and confidence, and peacock feathers that symbolized all-seeing knowledge and openness in Ancient Greece and Buddhism, respectively. Another panel included an agricultural field inspired by Yolo County. Student columns represented the notion that the SCC is comprised of students. The next panel presents a conveyer belt of various student ID cards, that according to the class’ blog “warns of a cold impersonal institution creating manufactured students. However, students struggle free, emerging from the ID cards to become active participants in their education.” The painting of the mural required a general consensus from SCC stakeholders. The class held in-
terviews with students and staff of the SCC and held public comment sessions, where members of the public could voice any criticisms they had on the design. Student Director for Southeast Asians Furthering Education (SAFE) at the Student Recruitment and Retention Center (SRRC) Teresa Tran said she did not feel the Southeast Asian community was adequately represented in the drafts presented during the comment session. “The only representation we saw was the abbreviation ‘S.E.A’ for ‘Southeast Asian,’ but who would know what S.E.A. stands for?” she said. According to Tran, one of the wall panels was agreed upon almost entirely, with the exception of slight word changes, such as changing “LGBT” to “LGBTQIAA”
Courtesy of Emliy Thorpe
Students from the Chicano/a Studies 171: Mural Workshop class designed the mural See MURAL, page 2 that would have been located at the Student Community Center.
Local residents propose ASUCD temporarily exempt renovation of downtown tunnel Proposal in early stages, seeks community support from Shared Services Center By EINAT GILBOA Aggie News Writer
ASUCD will not have to pay $235,560 fee for 2012-13 fiscal year By HANNAH STRUMWASSER Campus News Editor
Last Thursday, ASUCD President Rebecca Sterling announced that ASUCD has been exempted from the UC Davis Shared Services Center. The Shared Services Center, which is intended to centralize all campus services in order to make them more efficient, would have cost ASUCD $235,560 a year. Sterling argued that if ASUCD had been forced to join the Shared Services Center, it would have become less efficient. “Had we joined in the center we would have been using student fees to pay for an unnecessary tax which would cost more for the same services we already do, and decrease our ability to be the largest student employer on campus,” Sterling said in an e-mail interview. Mark Champagne, former ASUCD business manager, agreed. “If the issue is about University efficiency, then ASUCD should be exempted permanently. ASUCD can process their own transactions for far less money than the Shared Services Center,” Champagne said in an e-mail interview. Students vote to decide how their fees are used within ASUCD. Champagne said that students should make sure that the university continues to honor the votes of the students. “There are legal and ethical is-
sues that surround taxing units that receive funding from student votes,” Champagne said. “In order to protect the integrity of the votes, students should be vigilant in making sure that the money is spent in a manner that is consistent with terms within each referendum.” If ASUCD had been forced to pay the fee, large ASUCD units such as the ASUCD Coffee House (CoHo) and the Bike Barn could have seen a rise in prices. Smaller units, such as KDVS and Picnic Day, could also have been negatively affected. Former ASUCD President Adam Thongsavat emphasized the importance of ASUCD’s services on campus, and said that the Shared Services tax would have inhibited ASUCD’s ability to serve the campus. “With everything from concerts to student-run organizations to the Aggie, it’s amazing the volume and the quantity and the reach we [ASUCD] have compared to any other campus department,” Thongsavat said. Both Sterling and Thongsavat met with Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi to discuss the issue, and she later made the decision to exempt ASUCD from the Shared Services Center. While ASUCD is exempt for the 2012-13 fiscal year, no decisions have been made about future years. HANNAH STRUMWASSER can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
Michael Bisch, co-president of the Downtown Davis Business Association, and Dr. Stephen Nowicki, a local pediatrician, have conceptualized a new archway to replace the one that beckons drivers off the Interstate 80 and into Davis. “Michael Bisch was the inspirational force behind this idea,” Nowicki said. “He had the idea to convert the roadway into a mechanism to pass into a more childfriendly environment, like taking a step back in time. He asked me if I’d be willing to sketch some ideas.”
Yash Naggda / Aggie
See TUNNEL, page 5 A local doctor and businessman are looking to remodel the tunnel near In-N-Out.
Fig+Axle reading series showcases local poets UC Davis English department provides creative outlet for writers By DOMINICK COSTABILE
Aggie Features Writer
Many of UC Davis’ student-run clubs typically meet, greet and operate solely through the campus community. However, the UC Davis English department’s graduate reading series, Fig+Axle, hopes to be an exception to this idea, as it unites the institutional atmosphere of UC Davis with the surrounding Davis community. Fig+Axle began as a reading series which exclusively showcased the work of writers and poets in Voorhies
Hall. Now, the club is doing things differently. The monthly reading format has been retained, but this time the reading series will move around town, incorporating various communities outside campus. Fig+Axle also now advertises upcoming writing and poetry-reading events on its Tumblr page. At the reading events, English department graduate students share their written material with peers, which is an audience that is beginning to expand beyond primarily other UC Davis graduate students to
See READING, page 6
Eleanor Liu
courtesy
Stafford Loan interest rate will expire this summer Low- to middle-income students will see an interest rate increase in July By MEE YANG
Aggie News Writer
About 8 million low- to middle-income students will see an increase in interest rate of the subsiJoe Chan / Aggie dized Stafford Loan when it expires Students have delivered thousands of letters to Congress, this upcoming July. The current rate is 3.4 percent; it will increase to 6.8 asking them to halt the Stafford Loan interest rate hikes.
Today’s weather Chance of thunder High 59 Low 47
Forecast Keep your heads up Aggies - we’ll see some warmer temperatures early next week. In the mean time, get ahead on your reading, homework, and any TV shows you watch while the weather continues to remain cold and rainy. Kenneth Doss, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team
percent by this summer. According to CALPIRG Federal Higher Education Advocate Rich Williams, this issue is a big priority in Congress at the moment, which is working to keep higher education accessible. According to opencongress. org, the interest rate for the subsi-
Thursday
Friday
Showers
Showers
High 58 Low 43
High 59 Low 40
dized Stafford Loan decreased over the years due to the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, which “seeks to lower the cost of higher education by reducing lender subsidies by $19 billion and then investing those funds in programs that increase
See LOAN, page 2
In other news, Santorum is dripping out. OOPS I meant dropping. Michelle Huey
page two
2 wednesday, april 11, 2012
daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org
TODAY
Shinkoskey Concert
Spring Membership Drive All day 166 Young Psi Chi Psychology National Honor Society is having the last week of its Spring Membership Drive. Applications and requirements are available on the bulletin board in Young Hall near Room 166. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on Friday in mailbox #181 at the Center for Student Involvement on the fourth floor of the MU.
The Experimental College’s Spring Registration 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 260 South Silo Register for various opportunities with the Experimental College. Registration can be mailed in or done in person (cash or check only). This event will continue, at the same time and location, through Friday.
Walk with Warren Noon to 1 p.m. Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center, Old Davis Road Join Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts for a lunchtime stroll in the UC Davis Arboretum’s native plant collections. Enjoy the early spring weather, learn about the Arboretum’s collections, see spring wildflowers in bloom and get a little exercise. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.
Circle K International Meeting 6 to 7 p.m. 6 Olson Interested in making a difference in the community? Want to be part of something bigger than yourself? Join Circle K International at their weekly meeting and find out if you are the missing link.
H.E.L.P. Club General Meeting 6 to 7 p.m. 1130 Hart Attend the first general meeting of the quarter to learn about community service programs (feeding the homeless, tutoring foster children and more) and find out how to get involved in the community. Food will be provided.
Take Back the Night 6:30 to 9 p.m. UC Davis Quad Take Back the Night is a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about sexual assault. The event is hosted by UC Davis’ Campus Violence Prevention Program, featuring guest speakers, music, campus resource tables and more.
Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous 7 to 8:30 p.m. Davis United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road Free yourself from excess weight and/ or obsessional thoughts about food and body image. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is a 12-step fellowship based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Meetings are open and free to the public. Go to foodaddicts.org for other meeting locations.
The First KP meeting of the 43rd Annual Whole Earth Festival 7 to 8 p.m. Student Community Center (Across from Chem 194/Bike Barn) Learn the history of the festival, reconnect with your community, schedule Non-Violence Training, explore KP responsibilities, and discover a little bit about yourself.
Theta Xi Rush event 7 to 9 p.m. Theta Xi house, First and D Street Join the Theta Xi brothers at their rush week barbeque.
Relapse 8 to 10 p.m. Rominger West Winery, 4602 Second St. Davis Shakespeare Ensemble presents Relapse, a retelling of the Orpheus myth with Shakespeare’s sonnets. This original piece explores the enduring whirlwind of love and loss inspired by the mythical characters of Orpheus and Eurydice.
THURSDAY
12:05 to 1 p.m. 115 Music Attend this free performance of Shuann Chai playing the piano.
Biomedical Engineering Distinguished Speaker series 4:10 to 5 p.m. 1005 GBSF Attend this event to listen to Martine LaBerge, Ph.D., of Clemson University give her seminar on “Total Knee Replacement: A Platform for Education, Research, and Economic Development.”
7th Annual Davis Feminist Film Festival 5 to 9 p.m. Veteran’s Memorial Center Theatre, 203 E. 14th St. The Davis Feminist Film Festival is a grassroots festival of short films from around the world featuring issues and perspectives often ignored by mainstream media. Tickets range from $5 to $15.
Introduction to Clubs Workshop 6 to 7:30 p.m. Transfer, Reentry and Veterans Center Go learn about many of the social and educational clubs available at UC Davis. Presentations by performance clubs, cultural clubs, academic clubs, guest speakers and more. Space is limited to 50 students, so please RSVP by e-mailing trv@ucdavis.edu by Thursday at noon.
Theta Xi Rush event 7 to 9 p.m. Theta Xi house, First and D Street Attend Theta Xi’s Luau Night with a performance by “Na Kieki O’ Hawaii.”
Relapse 8 to 10 p.m. John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St. Davis Shakespeare Ensemble presents Relapse, a retelling of the Orpheus myth with Shakespeare’s sonnets. This original piece explores the enduring whirlwind of love and loss inspired by the mythical characters of Orpheus and Eurydice.
FRIDAY Arboretum Plant Sale Just For Aggies 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Arboretum Teaching Nursery In honor of the UC Davis Arboretum’s 75th anniversary, the Arboretum is hosting a private plant sale, exclusively for UC Davis faculty, staff, students, volunteers, and Cal Aggie Alumni Association members. Bring your campus or CAAA ID to get first pick of our fabulous plants before this spring’s public plant sales. For more information, visit arboretum75th.ucdavis. edu/privation-ucdavis-plant-sale.
Folk Music Jam Session Noon to 1 p.m. Wyatt Deck, Old Davis Road, UC Davis Pull out your fiddles, guitars, mandolins, penny whistles, pipes, flutes, squeezeboxes (you name it) and join fellow musicians for a little bluegrass, old-time, blues, Celtic, klezmer, and world music over the lunch hour. All skill levels welcome. For more information, call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.
Angelica Cortez’s Senior Recital 115 Music 3:30 to 4:30 Angelica Cortez will be playing the trumpet with piano accompaniment. The event is free and everyone is welcome.
Relapse 8 to 10 p.m. Rominger West Winery, 4602 Second St., Davis Davis Shakespeare Ensemble presents Relapse, a retelling of the Orpheus myth with Shakespeare’s sonnets. This original piece explores the enduring whirlwind of love and loss inspired by the mythical characters of Orpheus and Eurydice. To receive placement in the AGGIE DAILY CALENDAR, e-mail dailycal@theaggie. org or stop by 25 Lower Freeborn by noon the day prior to your event. Due to space constraints, all event descriptions are subject to editing, and priority will be given to events that are free of charge and geared toward the campus community.
Recycle the Aggie. accuracy The California Aggie strives to ensure that all of its facts and details are accurate. Please bring any corrections to our attention by calling (530) 752-0208.
Jason Alpert Editor in Chief
Amy Stewart Science Editor
Becky Peterson Managing Editor
Melissa Freeman Opinion Editor
Alex Tervo Business Manager
Joey Chen Copy Chief
Grace Sprague Advertising Manager
Jasna Hodzic Photography Editor
Hannah Strumwasser Campus Editor Angela Swartz City Editor Elizabeth Orpina Arts Editor Erin Migdol Features Editor Trevor Cramer Sports Editor
Michelle Huey Design Director Janice Pang Asst. Design Director Mimi Vo Night Editor Amanda Nguyen Asst. Night Editor Irisa Tam Art Director
One Shields Ave. 25 Lower Freeborn, UCD Davis, CA 95616 Editorial (530) 752-0208 Advertising (530) 752-0365 Fax (530) 752-0355
The California Aggie is entered as first-class mail with the United States Post Office, Davis, Calif., 95616. Printed Monday through Thursday during the academic year and once a week during Summer Session II at The Davis Enterprise, Davis, Calif., 95616. Accounting services are provided by ASUCD. The Aggie is distributed free on the UC Davis campus and in the Davis community. Mail subscriptions are $100 per academic year, $35 per quarter and $25 for the summer. Views or opinions expressed in The Aggie by editors or columnists regarding legislation or candidates for political office or other matters are those of the editors or columnist alone. They are not those of the University of California or any department of UC. Advertisements appearing in The Aggie reflect the views of advertisers only; they are not an expression of editorial opinion by The Aggie. The Aggie shall not be liable for any error in published advertising unless an advertising proof is clearly marked for corrections by the advertiser. If the error is not corrected by The Aggie, its liability, if any, shall not exceed the value of the space occupied by the error. Further, The Aggie shall not be liable for any omission of an advertisement ordered published. All claims for adjustment must be made within 30 days of the date of publication. In no case shall The Aggie be liable for any general, special or consequential damages. © 2009 by The California Aggie. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form whatsoever is forbidden without the expressed written permission of the copyright owner.
The California Aggie is printed on recycled paper
The california Aggie
ed $10 million annual salary and the network’s allegedly subpar facilities. Now this is all very interesting and entertaining, but it’s also quite cringe-worPamela thy. It’s like watching an epiNonga Ngue sode of Dr. Phil (or better yet, Jerry Springer) when wives put their cheating husbands on blast and you’re captivated by the drama, but at the same time feel just a bit embarrassed on the couple’s behalf. You feel like you’re intruding and wonder if the participants have any kind of shame. reaking up is hard to Breakups leave all sides do. One second you’re emotionally raw for a periso close, connecting and revealing your soul to an- od of time, so it’s understandother individual and the next able that people want to vent a little and explain their side moment, you’re … nothing. of the story. But is there really Just two people who shared something once upon a time. an excuse for airing your dirty laundry like Tide is out of Transitioning from one type stock? I think not. When you of relationship to anothpromise someone that you er with a person is complican be trusted, that promise cated to say the least. There shouldn’t are all kinds end just beof emotions Breakups leave all sides cause the to deal with and a bunch emotionally raw for a period of relationship is over. of loose ends time ... This goes to tie up. The for all types lucky ones of relationships, from friendare able to push past the disship to professional to dating. comfort and end on amicaThere is a mutually agreed ble terms. Others … not so upon, unwritten social conmuch. Yes, breakups can be super messy, but they honest- tract between parties about keeping what happens in ly shouldn’t be. There was a breakup in the Vegas in Vegas (metaphornews that recently fell on the ically speaking). For exammessy side. Not a celebrity di- ple, think of your best friend in the whole world. You’ve vorce — those happen so often I can hardly keep up with been through a lot together and they know a thing or them. This was a professiontwo about you that no one al breakup, but it does mirelse knows. How messed up ror the romantic kind. The would it be for them to put news commentator Keith your secrets in the open as Olbermann, from the news soon as the friendship ends? program “Countdown With At the end of the day, it Keith Olbermann,” was fired by the network Current TV af- doesn’t benefit anyone to betray the memory of what ter working there for a little used to be a good thing by under a year. tainting it with negativity. Both sides have been very Keith Olbermann’s reputation vocal since parting ways. is basically ruined (or at least Current TV, operated by forvery, very questionable), and mer Vice President Al Gore Current TV has a lot of puband legal entrepreneur Joel Hyatt, has essentially painted lic relations clean-up work to Olbermann as a spoiled diva. do. They both probably regret ever getting together in the According to court papers first place, but I’m guessing it filed this past Friday, the they’ll regret even more the commentator had the netnegative publicity their comwork pay “over $50,000 in an ments have garnered. eight-month period to eight Even if you’re left without different limousine comthat special someone to hold, panies because none of the when all is said and done, you previous seven were able to can always hold on to your meet his patrician standards dignity. (Probably the most for how to drive him around comforting line I’ve ever writNew York City.” ten.) Show up your ex by car In his lawsuit against the rying yourself with unbelievnetwork, Olbermann labeled Current TV as “ragtag” able grace and maturity, like and Gore and Hyatt as “dilet- Sandra Bullock did back in 2010 when her marriage to tantes portraying entertainJesse James dissolved. She ment industry executives,” a.k.a. total posers. Ouch. He’s never addressed the scandal and chose to focus on beasking for between $50 to ing a good mom to her new$70 million in compensaly adopted son, winning the tion for Current TV’s lack of admiration of all of America professionalism and breach in the process. Find the Miss of contract. He recently said Congeniality in you and during an appearance on move on. the “Late Show With David Letterman” that “if you buy a $10 million chandelier, you For more ridiculously comforting support as should have a house to put it you get over your breakup, contact PAMELA in,” referring to his contract- NONGA NGUE at pamnonga@ucdavis.edu.
The big breakup
B
mural Cont. from front page and “Women Liberation” to “Gender Equity.” “I do not want to say that I hated the mural because it was beautiful, but to see myself and my community walk by it every day and to see that we were not represented on the building that we come to work to every day, that we see as our second home, is something we did not want,” Tran said. The class explained that most of the featured designs were generalized figures and faces that did not belong to specific ethnic or racial groups. According to the mural workshop class, negative comments toward the mural were unexpected. The class stated on the process blog that including all cultures that represent all students is “not possible logistically and artistically.” Staff at the Women’s Resource and Research Center (WRRC) outreach office requested that full bodies of the
loan Cont. from front page grant amounts to students, improve access to student loans, cut interest rates on student loans, provide for the repayment of parts of the loans through employment or service in areas of national need, and reward colleges for lowering costs to students.” “An issue with student loans is that it does not provide protection for students,” Williams said. “There isn’t enough protection to insure that students won’t be forced to delay buying a home, getting married, going into retirement early all because they have to pay back loans.”
This next myth, shaving areas that are not on your face, is also up to your own personal judgment. For all you werewolves out there, taking a Nolan razor blade or some wax Sheldon to your back and tops of your feet is probably a practice you should never stop. But what about your chest and your stomach? My theory has always been that the ones who shave have something to show; if you have something to hide let it grow. he secret’s out, every- Let’s face it: We’re trying body. It’s spring quar- to hide our great ability to avoid working out and eatter. That means lying healthy. Your chest and ing out and looking good stomach hair are a natuon the grassy knoll at the ral invisibility cloak for the Rec Pool. It means getting drunk and looking good on pecs and six pack you don’t the deck at HB2K12. For us have. I’ve also pictured shaving as a Sisyphusguys, we get to wear tank tops and scream, “Sun’s out type ordeal — it always guns out, bro!” while cruis- grows back so it’s like starting over each time. Again, ing around on longboards some manand wearscaping ing those My advice is to think twice may be goofy plastic sunbefore diving into a pool of spray needed. After all, a glasses with tan garden left the colunattended ored rims. Are those ironically cool, or becomes just a collection of plants after a while. just cool? I can never fig But keep things natural. ure it out. Anyways, the bottom line is it’s skin-bar- This time your body knows what it’s doing: It’s trying ing season and it’s time to help you by covering up to show that we have the some of your unsightliness. muscle-bound bodies of The last myth we’ll covGreek gods. Around this time of year, er this week may not make sense at first, but trust me there’s a problem that goes when I say I’ve thought unaddressed. It’s an unthis through. We need to written rule to ignore an stop working out. At least, issue that stares back at we need to stop workus from the mirror. Some ing out and thinking it’ll of us aren’t Greek gods. change how we look this If Achilles looked like me then he had more soft spots spring. Unfortunately, that ship set sail long ago. Most than just around the ankles. The truth is, most of us of the Greek gods and goddesses we’ll see weren’t are more (insert wordplay born into their divine using god name and fat looks). But fear not, my fel- body types. It took hard low fat friends, I am here to work and planning. They set out months, maybe help with our Adonis comeven years ago, and startplex. I stand before you toed lifting weights, running day round and proud. All and doing whatever else it we need to do is debunk is healthy people do. For a few of their myths, and this year, at least, we’re out then we mere mortals can of luck, stuck with what compete with the gods. we’ve got right now. Up first, the myth that lighter skin always pales in Don’t let that dampen comparison to tanner pos- your mood, though. And don’t let me discourage sibilities. Darker skin provides natural shadows that you from working out. Get help highlight muscle defi- back in there, get healthy, nition. It’s why bodybuild- do your thing. And for ers and models tan and oil those like me who still lack their bodies before compe- sufficient motivation to go to the gym, it’s OK. These titions and photo shoots. tips will help us get by for Some of you may be now. We won’t become thinking, this is great, Heracles or Narcissus, but let’s hit that tanning that can be a good thing, booth and show off the right? Those Greek gods little muscle definition had wacky lifestyles and we have. But not so fast. too many problems for my Those natural shadows liking anyway. Plus, true may also help highlight beauty goes beyond the the extra baggage we acsurface. We’ll need more cumulated over the holidays. My advice is to think than sculpted marble as twice before diving into a muscles for our Aphrodite to hang around. pool of spray tan. It may help some of us, but tanning may be an activity If there are other Greek myths you would like debunked, NOLAN SHELDON can be best reserved for the imreached at nosheldon@ucdavis.edu. mortals.
Adonis complex
T
students be painted as well as changing the agriculture images, as they bore a “feminized connotation in relation to nature.” In an e-mail from SCC administration to the workshop professor, they outlined the changes they wanted to see in the mural. “Going forward will require that those giving and those [receiving] this beautiful gift are at good place with [the] legacy [being] created,” the email stated. Painting only one panel of the north side of the building was suggested for this quarter so that space could be left for future expansion to the mural. “The center directors feel that the success of this project will depend on all parties rising to the occasion and coming together in the spirit of understanding and common purpose,” the e-mail stated. Fourth-year linguistics major and student intern at the Cross Cultural Center Michelle Hanley said she believes that the mural would have add-
Therefore, there is a push on Capitol Hill for students to receive the same rights as other consumers, such as those who are able to declare bankruptcy. The interest rate in 2006 on the Stafford Loan was set at 6.8 percent and it has gradually decreased over the years until its expiration date this July. President Barack Obama is urging Congress to keep the interest rate at 3.4 percent for one more year until there is a viable solution. Students who take out the maximum $23,000 loan can save up to $5,000 in loan debt if the current interest rate is kept in place. Williams said that with rising college costs, increas-
ed positively to the campus and hopes the project will restart in the future. “It would have tied in well with the purpose of the SCC and made a welcoming entrance into the building,” Hanley said in an e-mail interview. “People did want changes to the design and the 10-week quarter system didn’t really allow enough time for the design to be drafted, discussed, updated, finalized and completed.” According to the mural workshop class, SCC administrators previously approved the mural design but decided to “censor” three-fourths of the mural due to “stringent expectations.” “[The SCC administration] decided to not defend an academic class and its process,” the class said in a letter to SCC stakeholders. “Although we were willing to make a few adjustments, we decided that it would be false and untrue if we so drastically altered the design of our mural.” The proposed mural design can be viewed at scc-mural.tumblr.com. MUNA SADEK can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
ing interest rates is one of the last things this economy needs. Although it seems like there is an increase in interest rate, some people would say otherwise. “Framing the expiration as an increase makes it seem as though Congress cynically debated and passed a bill to impose higher rates thisyear — something Congress didn’t do. Therefore, calling it an expiration is more appropriate,” said Abimael Chavez-Hernandez, a sophomore political science and philosophy major. Publisher of FinAid and Fastweb Mark Kantrowitz said that if the government chooses to fund billions of dollars to keep the
rate low, then it would have to cut funds for other financial aid such as the Pell Grant, which low-income students rely on. In the end, Kantrowitz said that it is better for the federally subsidized Stafford Loan to return to 6.8 percent rather than cutting other grants. Over 130,000 students have sent letters to Congress and some have publicly spoken against this increase. Williams said students should contact their representatives about this issue as soon as possible because there are only three months left before the expiration takes effect. MEE YANG can be reached city@theaggie. org.
Shoes wet from this terrible weather? Stuff a used copy of The Aggie into them to dry them off quickly.
The california aggie
Science &Technology
wednesday, april 11, 2012 3
Davis researchers find insight into the cause of COPD Too many immune cells cause respiratory problems Medicine and director of the Center for Health and the Environment. “COPD is related to both asthma and emphysema. It is a serious disease that makes it hard to breathe and causes tissue damage in the lungs.” COPD is considered a very deadly disease, killing nearly three million people every year just in the United States. In patients with COPD, tissue inflammation in the lungs skews the delicate balance of cells that line the airways. This leads to increased vulnerability to infection and a reduced ability to remove harmful inhaled particles. Exposure to tobacco smoke, or any other kind of smoke, stimulates the release of a specific type of white blood cell called a neutrophil. The
By HUDSON LOFCHIE Aggie Science Writer
While it has long been known that smoking can cause serious health problems, researchers at UC Davis have been conducting research that shows how smoking causes an immune response that compounds the harm of smoking. The focus of the research has been on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, and the surprising discovery is that COPD arises from excess immune cells entering the lung tissue. “Eighty percent of people with COPD are smokers,” said Kent Pinkerton, a professor in the UC Davis School of
neutrophils move out of the bronchial blood vessels (the blood vessels surrounding the lungs) and accumulate in the lung tissue. In normal circumstances, neutrophils are an important aid in tissue repair, but when they are present in excess, as they are in COPD, they release enzymes that kill healthy cells and accelerate the damage they are meant to repair. Since the body’s natural repair mechanisms have gone haywire, researchers are looking for ways to supplement the body’s natural defense and repair mechanisms to aid in recovery. They also hope to use this understanding to find a treatment.
See COPD, page 5
A look into the world of beer The complexity of the brewing process in Davis By ERIC C. LIPSKY Aggie Science Writer
Beer is a beverage that many college students may be familiar with as a simple refreshing drink, but the complexity of the brewing process is another story. While brewers throughout the world may differ in the types of beers they make, the consistency of the brewing process remains. The complex process of brewing a beer has withstood a long history, so how is a beer made and what are the brewer’s goals? “It’s very difficult to produce a good beer,” said Charles Bamforth, professor at the department of
food and science technology at UC Davis. “It’s confidently the most complicated and demanding process in the food and beverage industry.” According to Bamforth, the process starts out with barley grain being made into malt. After the soaked malt sprouts, it is allowed to dry, when different flavors and colors are produced. The sprouted and dried malt is stored for a month, and then it is ground up and milled to produce smaller particles. These small particles are then mixed with hot water and extracted. Wort, the liquid that contains sugars for fermen-
courtesy
The cause of, and solution to, all life’s problems.” —Homer Simpson tation, is drained from residual solids and is then boiled with hops. The product is then al-
lowed to cool, and yeast is added. After fermentation,
See BEER, page 5
UC Davis Cancer Center receives ‘comprehensive’ status Designation is the proverbial ‘big deal,’ said program co-leader By BRIAN RILEY Aggie Science Writer
The UC Davis Cancer Center has recently achieved a “comprehensive” designation from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Maryland. The new “comprehensive” designation signifies that the Cancer Center, now called the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, has demonstrated major levels of achievement in research and patient care, according to Ralph de Vere White, the director of the center. The National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, was set up to defeat cancer. However, the NCI “can’t do everything to defeat cancer in Bethesda,” de Vere White said. The UC Davis center will receive continued infrastructure funding from NCI to support its comprehensive activities. Funding from NCI for the infrastructure of the UC Davis program has grown from $8.8 million to $35 million in the last 10 years. “Our center crosses the whole campus,” de Vere White said. “We see ourselves as a campus-wide resource.” In addition to the patient services provided by the Comprehensive Cancer Center, there are six programs
courtesy
Patient Donald Savignano and Dr. Ralph de Vere White, urological oncologist. under which the center’s research work is organized: Molecular Oncology, Population Sciences and Health Disparities, Comparative Oncology, Prostate Cancer, Cancer Therapeutics and Biomedical Technology.
See CANCER, page 5
coloration, which consumers prefer over the lighter-colored egg yolks and chicken skin without lutein. In people, lutein is Amy mostly concentrated in Stewart the eyes, where it keeps us safe from the stress of high-energy blue light. There’s ongoing research as to whether lutein can help victims of high lightsensitivity or cataracts, but for now, just keep eating your vegetables. Time to complicate o you take multivita- things a little bit. One of the mins? If you do, take ingredients that I found on a look at the back of the bottle was chromium, the bottle at the ingredients which is considered a tranlist. Apart from vitamins A, sition metal on the periodic table; however, there is B, C and E, how many of the ingredients do you rec- actually little research that ognize? Unless you’re a nu- suggests that it does anything beneficial in the hutrition student, I’m guessman diet at all. Though ing many of the names are there isn’t evidence that it unfamiliar. does any harm, there are Most of these compounds are what are called only three cases where its complete removal from the micronutrients. Like the name implies, these are nu- diet caused a deficiency. It is required trients that in trace people only need Essentially all the pantothenic amounts for in tiny acid that you need is in the lipid metabolism, but amounts, foods you eat ... you’ll be fine unlike without supthings like plementing carbohydrates or protein (which are it. called macronutrients). For Bottom line for chromium: If it’s in your multivithe most part, taking more tamin, that’s not a probthan these tiny amounts lem, but don’t waste your usually isn’t necessary and money on dedicated chrocan sometimes be harmmium supplements. ful. Any more than small Similarly, the metalloid amounts of vitamin C, for boron is needed in such tiny example, is usually passed amounts that studies on deharmlessly but pointlessficiency in rats needed to ully through the body into the urine. Overdose of iron, tra-purify the foods and filter the dust in the air. The corhowever, can cause black responding amount needed and/or bloody stool, naufor the human diet is poorly sea, low blood pressure or understood but likely to be even convulsions; this is why iron is often not an in- extremely small (except for a few studies on postmenogredient of multivitamins pausal women with osteomeant for children. porosis, in which boron When I was looking at may help them retain calthe back of a vitamin botcium). Boron is considered tle, many of the ingredients were either unfamiliar, non-toxic, as the dose which causes fatality in 50 percent such as pantothenic acid and lutein, or elements that of animals is about 6 grams per kilogram of body weight I didn’t know people needed, such as chromium, mo- (anything above 2 grams per kilogram of weight is considlybdenum and boron. ered non-toxic). Let’s start with pantothenic acid, also known as vi- Molybdenum, which like chromium is a trantamin B5. Animals need pantothenic acid to make a sition metal, is clearvery important compound er in its health benefits. Molybdenum is a part of called coenzyme A (CoA). the active site of certain enWithout causing flashzymes and is also an inbacks to ninth-grade biology and the TCA cycle, CoA gredient in tooth enamel, which could help preis involved in energy mevent tooth decay. There tabolism of a cell; in esisn’t enough information to sence, it’s part of the reasay whether too much moson you’re alive. Don’t be lybdenum in people could too worried about lacking it, though; people with cause problems, but too little molybdenum leads to a deficiency of pantothan increased risk of esophenic acid are usually only ageal cancer. However, mothe victims of severe starlybdenum is found in high vation. Essentially all the amounts in the soil in the pantothenic acid that you U.S. and is found in foods need is in the foods you as varied as green beans, eat, primarily vegetables, cereals, pork and chickwhole grains and meat. en liver, eggs and sunflow Another ingredient of er seeds, so deficiency isn’t some multivitamins is lutein, which is made only a problem in the U.S. If you eat well and supby green, leafy plants to plement any vitamins and increase their absorption of blue light. Lutein in the minerals your doctor tells you to supplement, then food industry is interestyour diet should have all the ing because the primamicronutrients you need. ry reason that it is found in chicken feed (and thus, the eggs they produce) is AMY STEWART can be reached at science@ theaggie.org. because of its orange-red
Trace nutrients
D
High nitrate levels in drinking water concerning for rural Californians State looks to UC Davis for solutions By CLAIRE MALDARELLI Aggie Staff Writer
Agriculture and drinking water shouldn’t mix.
courtesy
The Tulare and Salinas Basins – home to half of California’s cow population and 40 percent of its irrigated agricultural land – are vital assets to the state of California. But the area also possesses a significant threat to its 2.6 million residents, and until now most of them were unaware of it. A recent report compiled by researchers at UC Davis investigated the safety of drinking water in the Tulare and Salinas Basins. The study was performed in response to state legislation passed in 2008 requiring a detailed examination of nitrate levels in the Tulare Lake Basin, which includes Fresno and Bakersfield, and the Salinas Valley, which includes Salinas and areas near Monterey. “These are two areas that have a history of pretty high nitrate contamination in their ground water,” said George Kostyrko, director of the Office of Public Affairs at the California State
Water Resource Control Board. According to the report, “Addressing Nitrate in California’s Drinking Water,” they found that one in 10 people living in these areas were at risk of exposure to harmful levels of nitrate contamination. These people rely on groundwater that may exceed the nitrate standard of 45 milligrams per liter, which was set by the California Department of Public Health for public water works. Jay Lund, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and co-author of the report, said this problem is likely to continually worsen in the coming decades. “It takes, on average, between five and 30 years for the nitrate that enters the surface to make its way into our drinking water. So, given that long time delay, it would take a very, very long time for that nitration to no longer exist in the groundwater,” Lund said. According to Lund, the study focused on where the nitrates are coming from and what we can do to reduce levels. Researchers examined data from wastewater treatment plants,
septic systems, parks, lawns, golf courses and farms. Significantly, agricultural fertilizers and animal manure applied to cropland are the two largest regional sources of the nitrate that leaks into the ground water, making up more than 90 percent of the total. Since the 1940s, the use of nitrogen in organic and synthetic fertilizers has substantially increased crop production in California but at a considerable cost. Nitrate from the surface nitrogen has continually leaked into groundwater. Although the report did not go into detail about the effects of nitrate consumption on human health, according to the press release, there is an understanding among the medical community that nitrate intake has been linked to thyroid illnesses, some cancers and reproductive problems. As a result, the study looked into finding solutions to reduce nitrate levels in the short term to provide safe drinking water to residents of Tulare and the Salinas Basin. In the long term, the researchers hope to continually reduce nitrate levels by improving and
See NITRATES, page 5
classifieds
4 Wednesday, april 11, 2012
Breaking News
angela.yuan@me.com
by Angela Yuan
Notice to Readers 25 Lower Freeborn Hall, UCD One Shields Ave. Davis, CA 95616 Editorial: (530) 752-0208 Advertising: (530) 752-0365 Fax: (530) 752-0355 Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
CLASSIFIED AD RATES* Students: 20¢ per word/day General: 25¢ per word/day * Minimum 5 words LOCAL OPEN AD RATES $10.00 per column inch DEADLINES Publication Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Help Wanted
Display Ads 4 p.m. Wed 4 p.m. Thu 4 p.m. Fri 4 p.m. Mon
The california Aggie
Classified Ads 1 p.m. Thurs 1 p.m. Mon 1 p.m. Tue 1 p.m. Wed
House for Rent
STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM Paid Survey Takers Needed in Davis. 100% FREE to join! Click on Surveys.
HOUSE FOR LEASE FIVE BEDROOM $2700/M AVAILABLE SEPT. 1ST CALL (530)753-4770 CLOSE TO UCD.
Egg Donors Needed. Healthy females ages 18-30. Donate to infertile couples some of the many eggs your body disposes monthly. Compensation $6,000. Call Reproductive Solutions (818) 832-1494 donor.eggreproductive.com. Reproductive Solutions abide by all federal and state guidelines regarding egg donation as well as all ASRM guidelines.
Fraternity/Sorority House for Rent Fall 2012. Please contact jeanette@citycore.com 3,4, and 5 bedroom houses available in East and South Davis from Sept. 01. Contact at http://www.properties-sah.com/rentals/residential.php, SahGroup@att.net or (530) 409-5167 for appointment.
The California Aggie reserves the right to, without notice, classify all advertisements, delete objectionable words and phrases, and edit or refuse advertisements. Categories will be strictly adhered to. The Aggie reserves the right to change, without notice, deadlines for advertising copy, rates, rules, and regulations. The advertiser will not hold The Aggie liable for any claims resulting from publication of the advertisement. Further, the Publisher will not be responsible for any claim resulting from an agreement made between the consumer and advertiser. Copy should be checked for errors
Employment
Tuesday’s puzzle solved
BY THE ADVERTISER following the first insertion. Errors in advertisements must be reported before 1 p.m. for correction in next issue. Credit for Publisher error(s) will only be given for the incorrect portion of the advertisement for the first publication date. All phone numbers appearing in classifieds will be in the 530 area code. Only area codes outside the 530 area will be printed. For placement or questions e-mail classifieds@theaggie.org. There are no refunds/credits for cancellations.
Personals
Looking for a flexible, friendly employee who can wait, do food prep and work the cash register. Cafe Mediterranee, 113 D Street, Davis (530) 759-7007
OVERPOPULATION IS SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED. http://motherlode.sierraclub.org/population/
Planning Interns Needed for Summer to plan Downtown Dixon community events and write grants. Non-salary, but provides outstanding references for great career opportunities. Must be outgoing and energetic. Apply at (916) 416-2876 by 4/27/12. Downtown Dixon Business Association.
GRADUATING Spring? Take your senior portrait at our studio in Davis now! Cap and gowns provided. www.vipp o r t r a i t s . c o m
Michelle Lam: A Boat
House for Rent
Sudoku
Apt for Rent Campus Manor Studio Apartments Available, See Davis Wiki http://daviswiki.org/Campus_Manor_Studio_ Apartments.
Hard Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square. Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing.
wednesDAY, April 11, 2012 5
The california aggie
Davis Volunteer Network launches a new site Website offers information for opportunities in Davis and beyond By ANGELA SWARTZ Aggie City Editor
Anna Oh / Aggie
Daniel Donnelly received his undergraduate degree last June and is the founder of the Davis Volunteer Network website.
READING Cont. from front page include undergraduate students, members of the community and visitors and students from outside the area. Reading series locations are now not just limited to Voorhies, or to UC Davis students; rather, the group seeks to incorporate more intimate and personal environments and residents outside UC Davis. Almost all of this year’s reading series have been held in downtown Davis within the spacious backyards of a few of the organizers’ homes. “By having a series held inside the walls of an institutional building, you’re indirectly barring the outside community, or saying that the artistic efforts of UC Davis students are strictly institutional and not related to the outside world,” said Paola Capo-Garcia, a firstyear poet in the creative writing master’s program and co-organizer of the group, in an e-mail interview. “I, for one, have been involved with reading series at other college campuses, but this one is its own thing, has its own heart.” When walking past the event, the poems and stories may be
copd Cont. from page 3 “Understanding how a disease begins is an important step to develop new therapies, and knowing the mechanism and location of [neutrophil] recruitment … will allow us to more rapidly screen drugs and determine how they work,” said Benjamin Davis, a researcher at the Center for Health and the Environment at UC Davis and the lead author of the study. “The ultimate test comes when a treatment is transitioned from the lab to COPD patients.” In order to discern the mechanism underlying COPD, Davis
beer
For those looking to volunteer in or around town, a single website has the information needed to get started. The Davis Volunteer Network site debuted eight months ago to publicize volunteer opportunities and charitable events within the Davis community and the UC Davis campus. UCD graduate Daniel Donnelly began Davisvolunteernetwork.org in early July 2011, but he created a new site, volunteer-net.org, to allow for more flexibility and engagement with both users and organizations. Donnelly, who is originally from Santa Cruz, received a bachelor’s degree in international relations in 2011. He works parttime in town, along with developing his website. He previously had an internship at a nonprofit in Valencia, Spain until April 2011. He came up with the idea for the site in Fall 2010. “I tried to start a nonprofit with another firm, but it didn’t work out,” he said. “I had the idea because I wanted to represent nonprofits and wanted to start nonprofit. It’s the
best way to contribute to communities and provide more support for nonprofits that exist. The site gives publicity to nonprofits for donations.” After soliciting organizations through e-mail and tabling at the Davis Farmers Market, the network’s website now has a calendar that lists a regular schedule of ongoing and one-time service opportunities. This year, Donnelly began regularly volunteering with the campus group Health and Education Leading to Prevention (H.E.L.P.), which hosts shelters and soup kitchens. Donnelly said there are two levels to the benefits of volunteering. For the community, he said it provides additional help for the organizations and provides a service like feeding the homeless. On an individual level, you can meet really awesome people and serve the community, he said. On the old site all the content was made by Donnelly and was almost exclusively about volunteer opportunities in Davis. Conversely, the new site has content from organizations and these organizations can create new pages for cities beyond Davis. Deena Freel, a senior design major, went to high school with Donnelly and helped him work on the layout of the new site.
heard through a PA system, and refreshments as well as an occasional fire pit are provided. On April 20, Fig+Axle’s reading series will host its first-ever event for writers who are on tour. Anna Joy Springer, an assistant professor at UC San Diego as well as an acclaimed prose writer and visual artist, will be one of the writers sharing her work. “Fig+Axle isn’t limited to graduate students. It’s an ideological venue for writers to share their work and hear new work,” Capo-Garcia said. “It also helps to have a program that is deeply committed to these readings, with writers who care about the performance of their work. It makes each month’s installment a particular highlight.” The Tumblr page features many “hidden” events, such as discussions and forums with scholars from UC Davis, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz and the University of Nebraska, just to name a few. Fig+Axle also posts works of art, such as a short film by Andrew Thomas Huang titled “Solipsist.” Fig+Axle welcomes postings of all kinds and encourages people to send information they would like to see featured. “The idea is that the blog functions as a resource for talks and
events going on, hopefully alleviating the need to keep all kinds of e-mails in all kinds of inboxes,” said Brook Erin Barman, first-year poet in the creative writing master’s program and co-organizer of Fig+Axle, in an e-mail interview. Art Middleton, first-year fiction writer in the creative writing master’s program and co-organizer of the group, said that using Tumblr has been a worthwhile way to spread the word about previously unknown events. “The Tumblr account has been a great way to consolidate the disparate but rad events happening on campus that one often walks by or finds out about too late,” Middleton said in an e-mail interview. As Fig+Axle continues to build momentum, its overall mission is to branch out, encouraging everyone to share ideas and events, whether it’s through Tumblr or the community. “We’d love to hear about a new space opening up in town, or events that people may want our input in...” Middleton said. “Reach out, keep pushing.” To find out more about upcoming Fig+Axle events, visit figandaxle.tumblr.com.
and his colleagues used an animal model of COPD to illustrate the effect of what approximately 10 years of one-pack-per-day smoking has on the immune response inside the lungs. In the animal model, which was accurately reproduced many times, the bronchial airways were completely scarred. The scarring accelerated inflammation and altered cellular makeups, leading to greatly reduced air flow and lung function. “We used methods that could properly account for these important features of the study data while also being simple for readers to understand,” said Daniel Tancredi, an assistant professor at the UC Davis School of Medicine
Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, and a statistician on the research project. Given the large amount of research coming out on the effects of smoking, Tancredi said that it is more important than ever for researchers to make their research accessible to, and understandable by, the general public. “We are trying to save lives,” Davis said. According to the World Health Organization, COPD is the fourth largest cause of death in the world, accounting for about six percent of deaths worldwide.
in giving the beer its flavor, but he puts emphasis on the malt due to its flavoring properties. “I would stress on the malt because it determines whether it is a Budweiser or Guinness,” Lewis said. He said that the processes for making different beers is identical, but that the “devil is in the details,” such as in fermentation temperatures. When comparing two prominent styles of beer, ale and lager, Lewis said there is a big overlap between the two styles of beer, but there are differences in taste. “Lagers are delicate, light and not terribly bitter. Ales are big in flavor and big in alcohol,” Lewis said. “It’s a function of the interpretation the brewer puts on it, not the style.” According to the BarthHaas Group, which tracks statistics in the beer industry, the top five countries in terms of beer production in 2010 were China, the U.S., Brazil, Russia and Germany, respectively. Both Bamforth and Lewis said that UC Davis is among the world’s leaders when it comes to its brewing program. “We are a very powerful presence; it’s a matter of the people we have here,” Lewis said. “Beer is a charming, refreshing drink that doesn’t insult your pallet. There are many more choices in matching beer with food than wine,” Lewis said. “Beer is a good bang for the buck.” Both professors suggest treating beer with reverence, and stress moderation in its consumption.
Cont. from page 3 the beer is filtered and allowed to mature to the beverage consumers can buy. “A brewer strives to make the beer consistent according to a specification; brewers need to match it every time,” Bamforth said. According to Bamforth, beer brewers do not use words like “vintage” and do not accept change. This sometimes involves tweaking the process because barley and hops can cause differences. “The brewing process is consistent across the world,” Bamforth said. “You’ll recognize the same brewer operation.” Bamforth said that in the U.S., about 90 percent of beer is made by the big brewing companies; the rest is imports and the craft scene. “The craft people make wonderful beer — the big guys, too — but I wish it was more evenly balanced,” Bamforth said. He said that the system in place in the U.S. — brewer, distributor and retailer — tends to favor bigger breweries, but that he interacts very strongly with both the strong ones and the little ones. When compared to wine, “beer is much more interesting, more complex and there’s more science,” Bamforth said. “It’s a more sophisticated process, and vastly more interesting with all of the different colors and flavors.” According to Michael Lewis, professor emeritus and academic director of the brewing extension program at UC Davis, all of a beer’s ingredi- ERIC C. LIPSKY can be reached at science@ ents make their contributions theaggie.org.
DOMINICK COSTABILE can reached at features@ theaggie.org.
HUDSON LOFCHIE can be reached at science@ theaggie.org.
Cancer Cont. from page 3 “In less than 10 years we [made it to] ‘major league’ status,” said Moon S. Chen, Jr., co-leader of the Population Sciences and Health Disparities program and associate director of cancer control at the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Recently the NCI sent 26 people to UC Davis to verify and review the Comprehensive Cancer Center’s activities. “You’re not ‘major league’ until you pass all these tests. You have to be very good,” said Chen, who pointed out that the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is now part of a group of 41 cancer centers nationwide that have achieved comprehensive status. Wolf-Dietrich D. Heyer, co-leader of the Molecular Oncology program and chair of the department of microbiology, agrees. “This designation is the proverbial ‘big deal,’” Heyer said. “UC
nitrates Cont. from page 3 possibly changing fertilizer management and water treatment. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. The more promising options are going to be location-specific,” said Thomas Harter of the UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources and co-author of the report. “The type of water
“I know a lot of people who want to volunteer but don’t know where to get involved,” Freel said. “The Volunteer Network tells you where to go and who to talk to. People who wouldn’t otherwise be involved will have more opportunities.” Alex Rossbach, a senior political science major with a minor in history, has known Daniel for four years; they used to swim together at UC Davis. Rossbach helped with the graphic design and building of the new site. Rossbach said the site is good because it is a nonprofit and centralizes information about volunteering in one place. As a recent graduate, Donnelly has had a hard time finding full-time jobs. He said he will look into getting a master’s degree only if it can complement his work at the Volunteer Network. He offers the following advice to other recent graduates: “Take a risk, follow your heart, and do some good.” To become a sponsor of the Davis Volunteer Network, e-mail daniel@davisvolunteernetwork.org. For individual donations, pay by check or PayPal. ANGELA SWARTZ can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
BASEBALL PREVIEW Teams: UC Davis at Sacramento UC Davis needs to forget State; vs. Pacific and move on quickly, with five Records: Aggies 11-13 (0-3); games in the next week, two Hornets (16-16); Tigers 10-21 against rival Sacramento State (0-3) and a weekend matchup with Where: Josh Smith Field, conference opponent Pacific. Sacramento; Dobbins Field The Tigers have the best overWhen: Wednesday at 2 p.m.; all hitting in the conference Friday at 2:30 p.m.; Saturday at with a .296 team batting aver1 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. age; however, the Aggies counWho to watch: Junior third ter with one of the better Big baseman Paul Politi West pitching staffs. reached base in 14 “Our starting pitchstraight games and ing is set up for our compiled a sevenconference opponents game hit streak beto see our top three fore it was snapped guys,” Vaughn said. against Cal State “But we’re in a poFullerton. Look for sition where we just the “hot-corner” man have to play one game to start a new streak at a time.” this weekend. Vaughn’s mantra all Did you know? UC Ryan Allgrove season has been one Davis has 34 sacri- senior game at a time, and UC fice bunts on the seaDavis would be wise son, ranking them not to look past its cap43rd nationally. Senior Ryan ital-city rivals. Freshman Rhys Allgrove leads the team with Hoskins of the Hornets is cureight. rently riding a 15-game hitPreview: The UC Davis baseball ting streak and has a ridicuteam will be happy to return to lous .416 average, 8 home runs, Dobbins Field this weekend, and 32 RBIs with a .450 on base having won only once on a sev- percentage, all team-leading. en-game road trip that included Hoskins’ average and home the start of Big West Conference runs are the best of any freshplay. man in the nation. The Aggies had three one- The Tuesday home game verrun losses during the stretch, sus Fresno State was canceled two of which were a product of due to inclement weather. The Cal State Fullerton’s late-inning Aggies will play at Sacramento on Wednesday and then recomebacks. “In the first one they put hits turn to Dobbins Field for the together and just came back first time in eight games to play and beat us,” said head coach conference foe Pacific. Senior Matt Vaughn. “In the second starter Dayne Quist remains one, we misplayed a popup that undefeated so far this seawould’ve given us the second son (4-0), and will look to slow out, still being up 4-2. Fullerton down the tough-hitting Tigers is a very good team and any with the first pitch on Friday at kind of opening they’ll take ad- 2:30 p.m. vantage of it, and we gave them — Russell Eisenman that opening.”
Davis is now in the same category as MD Anderson, Memorial SloanKettering, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Mayo Clinic — institutions which are among the world leaders in cancer research and treatment.” De Vere White explains that the main goal is to learn how to treat cancer better. “Our treatment just isn’t good enough,” said de Vere White, who explained that the researchers and physicians of the Cancer Center seek to “make available early treatment and prevention to everyone.” In comparison with other racial and cultural groups, Asian Americans show increased rates of liver cancer, while Latinos show comparatively decreased rates of colonoscopy procedures and Native American women are less likely to seek mammogram tests. California is unique among U.S. states in that it has the largest populations of Asian Americans, Native Americans and Latinos in
the country. “We have both the opportunity and the obligation to make sure we are serving each of these racial groups,” Chen said. As part of the effort to improve treatment, de Vere White stressed the importance of “integration of effort” and seeks to enhance cooperation among researchers among the five UC campuses which have medical centers and medical schools: UC San Francisco, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, UC Irvine and UC Davis. “Our obligation is not to hold any secrets but to share our findings and discoveries with all humanity,” Chen said. Now all five cancer centers at the five UC campuses have achieved “comprehensive” status. The UC Davis Cancer Center is also part of a local network, called the Cancer Care Network (CCN), of cancer centers located in Merced, Pleasanton, Sacramento, Marysville and Truckee.
source, the agricultural practices of that area and the proximity of the communities to the contaminated water are all key parts to finding a solution.” Now that the report is finished, the California State Water Board will be conducting a public workshop on May 23 to discuss the findings and solutions outlined in the report with the public. “Our role after the public workshop will be to look at the report and
public comments and put together a report ourselves to submit to the state water board with specific recommendations,” said Kostyrko. Lund concluded that California, because of its strong agricultural industry, will always have a problem with nitrate contamination, but the main goal is to reduce this problem and provide safe drinking water.
BRIAN RILEY can be reached at science@theaggie.org.
CLAIRE MALDARELLI can be reached at science@ theaggie.org.
6 wednesDAY, April 11, 2012
tunnel Cont. from front page The two would like to use the renovation of the archway to bring back the history of the town. “Welcoming arches were once common amongst cities. Davis itself had one in 1916, but the piece was lost through demolition,” Nowicki said. The remodel would employ a structural element called the Gabion archway, which is a sort of wire composition many architects use for homes. “A sort of wire cage is constructed and filled with rocks, corks, wine bottles or other objects,” Nowicki said. “This gives flexibility for you to make a statement about your town. For example, the cage could be filled with bike parts.”
The california Aggie
Bisch, who is also the owner of Davis Commercial Properties, and Nowicki envisioned the incorporation of ideas such as Huck Finn, live music, and other images symbolic of the transition into Davis. Still, they would like the community to get involved in what they would like to see in the arch. The two have met with several city organizations to garner support for the project, but no plans to start have yet been created. “We met with the Civic Arts Council and the Historical Resources Management Commission. All the feedback that we’ve gotten from the city has been positive so far,” Nowicki said. “We need to first identify some pitfalls, then we can get into specific plans.” The community seems to be responding well to the proposal.
“The civic arts commission voted in favor of the project 5-1. It’s a large arts piece that would be a beautiful segue,” said Community Services Supervisor and Civic Arts Commission Liaison Carrie Dyer. “They’ve got a great concept, and I’d be interested to see what happens with it.” If the project continues to get good responses from the community, Bisch and Nowicki hope to explore opportunities for funding. “We have a really good idea; it’s just a matter of going through the process to see if there are obstacles, and tackling getting the public on board, as well as financial support,” said Nowicki. Katherine Hess, administrator for the city’s community development department, said that before plans can be set into motion, the city would have to approve it. “The proposal initially was to give the art
piece to the city,” Hess said. “We’d have to make a decision if we want to do that.” The city would have to evaluate whether the art piece detracts from the historic integrity of the arch, since it is considered a historic item. “We met with Rand Herbert, chair of the Historical Resources Management Commission, and he liked the idea,” Nowicki said. “He didn’t want to cover up the archway, but if we have a feature there that people will observe, it’ll be an important structural element for our city.” Hess, too, sees a bright future for the project. “There’s an effort on a number of fronts to improve the city from an arts perspective, and this could contribute to that,” she said. EINAT GILBOA can be reached city@theaggie.org.